Trick or Treat??!!

yep.. the little feckers are coming! looking for all your goodies too!

Trick or treat?! well whats it to be? do you trick yourself with some clever ProPoints maths or treat your body like a rubbish bag and undo all the hard work! 

Tips... 

Stay Focused! 
You've got Christmas in your sights.. its just one day and the goodies are for kids... not you... 

If you're going out to trick or treating... have a bowl of zero ProPoint soup... make up a low  PP fruit smoothie... a baked potato, whatever .. just be full ... that the thought of adding chocolate to your stomach just sounds uncomfortable... 

Apple teeth are SO easy to do... slice em up... 

peanut butter and mini marshmallows! Simples!

Plan YOUR treat... you're marching about the neighbourhood, you come home knowing you've got your activity points and your weeklies to enjoy a dessert, a well earned bottle of wine, a chicken curry... what ever it is... its your treat to look forward too... instead of feeling sickly on chocolate bars and junk.. you know your favourite take out is there for you when its all done!

Banana ghosts and clementine pumpkins, practically point free!

I'm making these bad boys for Halloween! Mini Mummies!

Stay tuned!

Spooky stuffed pumpkin peppers...

Don't buy the goodies for the tricksters until the actual day of Halloween OR be very good at hiding stuff, stick it in the garage, shed, wardrobe till you need it... if it's sitting on the kitchen worktop.. it'll be opened and hoovered!

These are amazing, take a few minutes to make and look so cool.. and are zero PP! 

Do a little Halloween basket just for you! Work out the mini bars and biscuits or crisps and have them! You know exactly how many ProPoints are in there and you can nibble away till they're all gone! 

Make some Halloween treat for every one that's fun and healthy! You know I love my sugar free jelly and there's ALWAYS some in my fridge! Get creative with colours and some spooky wine gums... 

Carving pumpkins? You can come away with more than a spooky jack-o-lantern. Roast the pumpkin seeds, and have some as a snack. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein, fiber and iron...

Expecting trick-or-treaters? Buy stuff you don't like! Not a Licorice fan... Dolly mixture all the way! Trick yourself!!

If you're having a bit of a 'do'.. then get creative.. there's LOADS of ideas out there! Mr. Pumpkin platter (below) would go down a storm with some chilli and garlic dips... Nearly Point free! The freaky frozen ICE hand (above) is easy! Some juices and your fav tipple for the adults and you stay in control! 

Going to a Halloween party? Turn heads in your costume! Eat before you get there so you're not hungry and picking at the snacks!!!

Frankenstein fans check this link >>> HERE <<< for FAB ideas... LOVE the grapes idea!!!

Watching a scary movie? Skip the popcorn and have a cup of frozen berries for an icy treat... 

There are loads of really easy healthy ways to enjoy Halloween without being sponsored by Cadburys! Your body isn't a rubbish bin... so don't treat it like one... Its just one day!

Fab losses continue on the challenge! Christmas is just around the corner!!!

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Your eyes may deceive you...

Something for those of the savoury persuasion, since its snack week!! The 'Shaper' products are all listed as 'healthy snacks' but many are higher in points than the crisps they're trying to copy... be careful out there... 

Snack-a-jacks Crunchy Curls in Sweet Chilli Kick - 2pp per 22g bag

Shapers Thai Sweet Chilli Cassava Snack - 2pp per 20g bag

These are nice and spicy and 1 bag will def give you a fix!  

Shapers Sour Cream & Chive Flavour Crispy Discs - 3pp per 21g bag

Bit like cardboard to be honest not worth wasting 3PPs!  

Shapers Salt & Vinegar Chipsticks - 3pp per 21g bag

These taste OK but for an extra point you can have the real thing and more of em!  

Shapers Ready Salted Rings - 3pp per 20g bag

Plain hula hoops if you will...  

Shapers Sour cream and jalapeño popcorn - 2pp per 20g bag

Lovely and not too spicy and for 20g you get a lot more snack...  

Shapers Prawn Cocktail Shells - 3pp per 20g bag

Not a patch on Skips flavour wise and a propoint more!  

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Snack Attack.. WEEK 5!

SNACK ATTACK!

Midnight munchies… 'I'm staaaarrrving!' … 'Dinner was HOURS ago, I won't make it till morning' .. paws up who's said one or all THREE of those… yep.. thought so…

Snacking is one of the hardest things to control... unless you plan for it! 

There is nothing bad about eating at night, as opposed to eating at any other time of the day.. If you eat 29PP per day, it's the same whether you eat them in the morning or at night. It's still 29PP … BUT … how much you eat and when can alter your energy levels… its how your body processes the food with the job it has to do... That's why the experts tell us to eat a big, healthy breakfast to give you energy to start your day. If you eat a ton of food at night, you don't get to burn it off before going to sleep… it sits on your stomach while you try to sleep! 

The real problem with nighttime eating is that usually, it ends up increasing your food intake… You have a really good healthy day… Then it's time to wind down after dinner… Unless you're going to run a midnight marathon or do 500 push-ups at 2 am, you don't NEED any more food… You're done… or you should be! But mindless eating at the telly, a biscuit or 3 with a cuppa, 'sure the X-factor is on'… its like one of the 'rules' to have a glass of wine… with peanuts… and toast before bed… Every time you go into the kitchen something mysteriously ends up in your gob but never on your tracker!

Not eating after your main meal in the evening is a really good way to cut back on all those extra calories, plus your body isn't designed to be digesting food as it sleeps! You might fall asleep in a carb induced coma but you're more likely to wake up during the night and be a right grumpy sod in the morning! Plus heartburn and indigestion are rife! That old saying 'don't dine after nine' … is one to listen to!

Saying 'I'm not eating after my dinner' is all well and good and its a good habit to get into …  but you can snack if you want to… but make it stuff that you can control…

Sugar free jelly (make it with diet 7up and its tingly!), fruit skewers and stick a few marshmallows on them! 

If you have the willpower… count/weigh out some sweets or nuts and enjoy them… These ones are 60 PP (you heard me!) for the bag and at the moment Dunnes is doing a BOGOFF deal… there's a few handfuls in it… I personally would have them hoovered in minutes! STAY AWAY from them!!!! 

Have a slice of chicken, a yoghurt and some fruit if you miss a dessert, we're not starving, add a meringue to keep it sweet and low and LIGHT on your tummy!… we're bored, annoyed, and have made snacks at certain telly programmes a bad habit… Have a cup of tea… there's no law in this country that says you have to open a packet of biccies too though!

Allow some points for a slice of toast with a laughing cow triangle…  

Brush your teeth… crisps do not taste the same once your sparklers are clean! 

Being a crisp junkie, my go to method of diversion is nail polish! Now… its become a slight addiction but I don't eat crisps in the evening any more.. greasy nails and polish do not work! My addiction is being monitored! *coughs* >>> HERE <<<

Being hungry a few hours after you've eaten your dinner isn't an emergency… but ask yourself are you hungry… REALLY hungry.. its actually good to feel hungry… you're listening to your body and it will tell you what it needs! 

Going to bed with a little grumble in your tummy isn't the end of the world… It isn't even terrible… It is OKAY to feel hungry… its about treating your body right… and if you have little people in the house you're setting them up with habits to last a lifetime... Snack responsibly!

Chart below.. finally! After my hols I think I was up about 2/3 lbs but I managed to pull it right back this week with a 2lb loss and a tracker that WW would frame its so perfect! If I've missed a weigh in for you please let me know.. there was a long list to go through and it was late last night when I finished it and I may have missed one, plus feel free to correct my maths! 

Over 70lbs lost so far! That's a Victoria Beckham! 9 weeks to go... big push now people!!! Santa claus is coming!!!

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H to the O... yo… week 4!

a little one bed I'm thinking I should do up and live in... 

Firstly, Apologies I'm a day late and all kinds of 'jet lagged' ... ahem ... chart will be updated on this post tomorrow... I want to go through all the comments and make sure I don't miss any body out … 

This week, week 4 (HOW did that happen so fast!) its all about water... 

The recommended intake for a healthy adult is generally a minimum of 8 to 12 glasses of water per day. Here's a  Hydration Calculator ... it's good as a guide..... 

Tap Tips… 

1. Find your source. In most places in tap water is just as good as most bottled water, so don't feel like you have to buy your water. If you do live in an area with lime or hard water or the taste of chlorine is strong then invest in a  filter jug… they're in most shops and keep it topped up… 

2. Drink and Drive!
Leave a bottle everywhere… by your desk, at the sink, beside the kettle, in the car beside your bed… there's no excuse not to have a glass or mug for your water intake so whenever you see it.. you'll drink some… its a great habit to get into!

3. How do you take it?  Cold? Get a jug for the fridge... Room temp? Leave the jug on the counter... Or drink from the tap if you like... Iced? Be sure you have some ice trays full every night... Be prepared... Flavor? Don't like plain water? If you can't stand water, try putting a slice of fresh lemon, lime, or orange in your glass. Get juicing.... Add some sugar free cordial.. whatever helps you to drink more then do it… if all else fails, just drink it and quit moaning! You'll get used to it... and feel better for it!

Freeze slices of lemon... I sound like the boy scouts but ALWAYS be prepared!

4. Every morning, first thing in your mouth before anything else, drink a glass of water. Your body WANTS it, 74% of you is water and feels so much better... Then, have a glass with every meal, it does help fill you faster and you tend to eat a bit less. Even if you are just sitting down to have ONE biscuit, have a glass of water first…  you'll snack less! Drink a glass when you *think* you are hungry or want to eat… you're not hungry.. you're thirsty!

5. Go one-for-one at happy hour... When you're enjoying a cocktail or three at happy hour, try to drink at least one glass of water (or, even just half a glass) for every alcoholic drink you take down. It's a great way to heal the hangover and munchies that come with it the next day too...

6. Drink a glass of water 30 minutes before every meal. Its not always easy to remember.. But when I do it, I notice that I don't hoover my food as fast when I sit down to eat my meal normally...

7. AND.. remember that when you exercise you need to replenish those lost fluids… all common sense!

Water increases your metabolism, flushes out toxins, gives you clearer skin, relieves tiredness, helps digestion and so much more all for ZERO calories!

New chart up tomorrow and back posting in full swing on Monday! 

From the posts I see everyones doing great!

   

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Lazy...

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The pen is mightier than the scalpel... WEEK 3

OK... So it's tracking... I know ... I know.... 

Don't you just get fed up pointing things sometimes? Wouldn't it be nice to just get up... have your breakfast and not fret that you won't have enough points by dinner time... just to eat and enjoy food... and on holidays you do... in the past, sadly, its always led to a big fat UP on the scales... but this holiday I'm noticing I'm making changes without even trying...  strangely.. I'm brainwashed... I'm pointing in my head subconsciously... I know by looking at something how many points are in there... and without using the numbers I'm just making better choices, funny how you never switch off... maybe that's a life changing thing ... but tracking is the one thing all successful members remark on... and honestly... the weeks I track diligently, are the weeks I'm down... medication or not... so it feckin works...  

Whether its a nice notebook, try a free program online like the Daily Plate, FitDay, or Sparkpeople  or a fancy app on your phone... there are lots of ways to track your food! so excuses will be ignored!

Check out Mr. Qs post >>> HERE &lt;&lt;&lt;

It's even better if you're the organized type who can plan out your meals and know you'll have exactly 5PP every morning for brekkie... 6PP for lunch... etc... because you know exactly what you're having... and how many Propoints you'll have for dinner, treats, birthday parties, date night, cinema trips... and meal planning is so economical... just sitting down before you go food shopping can make a huge difference when you've got a precise list and don't deviate from it! No supermarket specials allowed!!!

Writing everything down make you see exactly where you're going wrong and what kind of eater you are... you might think you're an angel till you track your munchies at night time... you might weigh out your pasta and see your portion sizes are way off... Write it ALL down... every bite... if you eat your kid's left over fish finger, write it! If you dip it in ketchup write that too.. if you lick the bowl after you make a cake, track it... If you taste dinner as you cook it, track it... Every single thing... If you've never done this... it will be an eye opener... and it doesn't matter if you're writing Propoints, Syns, calories.. whatever plan you're on ... it will make a difference... we can be very 'forgetful' sometimes! It will also show you how much or how little you're eating of certain foods... not enough veg? too much fruit? mid-night feasts? 

For people rolling their eyes "I do this ALLLL the time"... then write down how you feel... are you happy? sad? annoyed? angry? Look at the time of day you are eating and why? How hungry were you really? on a scale of 1 to 10? Were you even hungry at all? Think about WHY you eat what you do and see if you make a healthy choice every time... 

No chart this week but post your losses below and normal service will resume shortly ... *hiccup*... x

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